Star Trace Gate

Chapter 926 A Blade Rises, a Head Falls: Zhao Mi Makes His Move

Clan Hall.

The more than two thousand disciples from the dozens of enlightenment academies in this illusory village all came carrying lanterns. They were not there to stand up for the Huang family aunt and niece, but only to ask the Jian Sun and Zhao families to eliminate all the injustices here for their own future and that of their descendants.

In the south, the Qian family, who had been biding their time for several days, also mobilized their entire clan, with over a thousand people arriving through the air, exuding a murderous aura.

These two forces, with over three thousand experts at the Crimson and Black Qi levels, loomed over the Clan Hall, which symbolized the highest authority and glory of the Illusionary Village, like dark clouds pressing down from above.

This was an unprecedented event since the end of the old master's golden age. The Sun and Zhao families, who were previously extremely arrogant and always ready to fight, now looked at the lights filling the sky and the academy students looking down at this place, their killing intent surging... They were all suppressed and kept quiet.

Not only were the descendants and elders of the Sun and Zhao families stunned, frightened, and terrified, but even Zhao Han, who had previously been extremely domineering and whose word was law in the clan hall, was now pale-faced and filled with despair.

The situation has completely spiraled out of control, and the tide has been turned completely—that much is obvious…

However, Zhao Han had no plan in mind for this earth-shattering change. Given his position and social class, he truly couldn't understand why the disorganized Wudao Academy could band together so tightly tonight, and why a few lousy teachers could easily incite them to jump up and risk their lives to get involved in this bloody struggle between the four races.

As he looked up at the sky, he even saw a dozen or so senior tutors who were usually close to the Zhao family and gave private lessons to the Zhao family's children, charging them fees. Although they were not considered members of the Zhao family, they were also using the Zhao family's salary to seek personal gain, and there was a master-servant relationship between them. Today, however, they had also brought their disciples to join in the fun.

Is this just a coincidence?

No, absolutely not. The Qian and Li families must have secretly promised the Wudao Academy many benefits and conspired together for a long time, just to jump out today and launch an attack on the Zhao and Sun families.

Zhao Han had a vague idea and a suspicion in his mind, and he firmly believed that the Zhao family had not done a better job than the Li family and the Qian family in exchanging benefits in private, which was why the current situation was so critical.

Losing a move in chess will inevitably come at a price...

Zhao Han was an old monster who had lived for a very long time. Since he dared to jump out and compete for that earth-shattering opportunity, he was naturally prepared to be crushed to pieces if he failed in the competition.

Having lived for so long, one may die, but one cannot lose one's backbone, much less tarnish the prestige of the Zhao family. Otherwise... it wouldn't just be these wild dogs cursing him; even the descendants of the Zhao family would despise him and spit on him.

Even in death, one should leave behind a lasting legacy...

After Zhao Han figured these things out, despair and determination appeared in his aged eyes.

He stood at the entrance of the main hall in the front courtyard, turned around to look at Qin Yanting, then turned to face his sixth grandfather, Wu Zhengfeng, and the others who had just arrived, and said disdainfully, "The people of the academy pride themselves on being upright, yet in the face of such a crucial matter, they chose to pursue fame and fortune. Li Taishan keeps saying that he acts with integrity and never stabs people in the back, but in the end, didn't he also join forces with the academy and the Qian family to engage in all sorts of scheming and intrigue?"

"Hahaha, Qian Zhongge is even more ridiculous. Since birth, he has placed himself on the 'sage's throne, always claiming to be of unparalleled integrity and the most upright person in Xuwang Village. But today, he is willing to pretend to be humiliated, while secretly instigating and inciting the disciples of the academy, wanting to win the struggle between the four clans, seize the old master's inheritance, and then use a knife to kill the competing Sun and Zhao families... Hahaha, what a gentleman, what a tough old man Qian!"

"Your methods are truly brilliant! You managed to put on a show on this stage of the Heavenly Prison Land for a lifetime, haha, you win, you win...!"

Even when faced with a desperate situation, Zhao Han still displayed the demeanor of a great man who was not afraid of death. He just laughed loudly, made sarcastic remarks, and looked extremely arrogant.

No one responded to Zhao Han's words, both in the sky and on the ground; only silence remained, for a murderous intent was about to be revealed.

"Here comes the knife!!!"

A moment later, Qian Zhongge's loud roar echoed through the village of illusion, interrupting Zhao Han's incessant chatter.

"brush!"

Above the heavens, the great sword of the Saint Emperor, surging with a world-destroying aura, floated into Qian Zhongge's right hand like a divine rainbow.

The Emperor's longsword, carved with a blue dragon, was about twelve feet long. The hilt was forged from immortal iron, with a coiled dragon body. The blade was large and gleamed with a cold light. The dragon's head was in the center, and when it was swung, the sound of a dragon's roar could be heard throughout the heavens and earth.

The divine blade of the Sage Emperor flowed with blue and red light, and faintly exuded the aura of a martial saint capable of cleaving the heavens and splitting the earth. However, that aura was extremely turbid, dark, and cold...

Legend has it that the Sage Emperor was born at the end of an ominous tide, attained enlightenment relatively late, and fought in the Land of No Rank during that final period. Ultimately, his Dao body shattered, and he returned to the heavens as a star, never achieving the status of the Great Dao. However, later generations, grateful for his achievements and heroic spirit, revered him as the Sage Emperor and offered him incense.

Before his death, the divine sword was lost and its whereabouts were unknown, but unexpectedly it appeared in the Illusion Village today and was taken over by the Qian family.

However, this divine sword is a symbol of the sage emperor, and every human deity statue is accompanied by a sword. Therefore, this sword has also received offerings from human incense and can gather human fortune, so it should be transformed into a supreme treasure of the Great Dao.

Unfortunately, it fell into enemy hands, and its spiritual essence was forcibly erased. At this moment, it is in an incomplete form and cannot be considered a supreme treasure.

However, based solely on Qian Zhongge's skill level and the origin of this divine blade, its unparalleled sharpness is enough to rival even the most precious treasures at this moment.

Under the cover of night, Qian Zhongge, holding the Saint's Blade, his body stretched out, white hair flying, his face full of murderous intent, gently landed in the front yard.

He stood with his sword drawn, his gaze piercing as he looked at Zhao Han, and asked without uttering a word of nonsense, "Zhao Han, can the light of this sky full of lights tonight overshadow the glory of your Zhao family?!"

"Heh." Zhao Han looked at him coldly: "My mission is only to bring blessings to the descendants of the Zhao family. As for the glory of the Zhao family, that is not for me to consider... Since the current crisis is beyond my power to resist, then I can only face death."

"But just the name 'Qian Zhongge' is not enough to make me say something repentant and show the survival instinct of a stray dog ​​before I die."

"I've long heard that you wield the Holy Blade, and that even my patriarch Zhao Mi couldn't do anything to you for a while. Heh, I don't believe it. Today I want to test just how much this righteous gentleman's divine magic really holds up!"

As Zhao Han finished speaking, he suddenly raised his arms, channeling his spiritual energy, and roared, "Enough of the idle talk! Qian Zhongge, let us fight to the heavens right now!"

His fighting spirit was palpable, and his willingness to die was very evident.

Unexpectedly, Qian Zhongge just stared at him coldly and said succinctly, "Even if we really have to fight to the heavens, that is between me and Zhao Mi. With your status as a collateral descendant of the Zhao family, you are probably not worthy of my drawing my sword."

"You...!" Zhao Han's face was extremely cold, and he was about to retort.

"I won't waste my breath on you. Since you've already admitted that the current crisis is beyond your ability to resolve, then I'll show you the way."

Qian Zhongge remained calm, his voice deep and powerful, his thoughts exceptionally clear as he spoke: "Zhao Han, the blood on my brow has not yet dried, and the shame of the Qian family has not been washed away. The Heavenly Venerable Sage said, 'Only by repaying evil with justice can one repay kindness with kindness.' I have only two sentences: either you kneel here and kowtow to me in surrender, or I will wield the Sage Emperor's Blade, lead over a thousand members of the Qian family, and slaughter all the Zhao family members here, tearing their corpses to pieces to feed the dogs, and capturing their souls to enslave them!!!"

"Three breaths, just three breaths! If you don't kneel, I will show absolutely no mercy. None of the two hundred-plus members of the Zhao family here will survive!"

Qian Zhongge's deep voice resonated with every descendant of the Zhao family and the soul of the clan elders. He spoke calmly, yet with extreme decisiveness and coldness.

Above the sky, more than two hundred members of the Zhao family looked at Zhao Han with complicated expressions. They neither took the initiative to express their opinions nor raised their auras, showing no intention of fighting to the death.

Perhaps it was the silence of the Zhao family that made some of the proud elders feel ashamed and humiliated. So after struggling for a while, they flew forward and shouted, "If we lose, we will die! Qian Zhongge, if you want to humiliate the Zhao family like this, then we, the more than two hundred members of the Zhao clan, will fight you to the death!"

"Kneel down!!!"

Just then, Wu Zhengfeng suddenly shouted and waved his hand, saying, "Suppress!"

"Boom boom boom...!"

Above the sky, more than three thousand cultivators unleashed their fierce power in an instant, pressing down on Zhao Han like a galaxy.

This terrifying and overwhelming pressure caused those members of the Zhao family who were unwilling to be humiliated to fall from mid-air and crash heavily to the ground, their bodies and souls unable to move.

Upon seeing this scene, Zhao Han was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged and his whole body trembled.

Qian Zhongge waited only two breaths before shaking his head with dim eyes and saying, "Fine, I overestimated you. Qian family descendants, heed my command and join me in activating the divine technique…!"

"Wait, wait!"

Zhao Han roared angrily, his face turning purple, his eyes slowly sweeping over the younger generation of the Zhao family, and then he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, since you insist, then I will give you this share of karma!"

"Gudong!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Han knelt on the ground with his back straight, bowed his head and kowtowed, shouting, "Qian Zhongge, in this struggle between the four clans, you are still the better one. I, Zhao Han, am no match for you. I have lost... I admit it... I will bear the consequences of your actions!"

The shouts echoed, and many members of the Zhao family felt a burning pain on their cheeks. When they looked at their ancestor, tears welled up in their eyes, and they felt guilty for their behavior just now.

"brush!"

Qian Zhongge listened to the echo of Zhao Han's words, then drew his sword and walked forward.

Zhao Han knelt there, tears streaming down his face. But he wasn't saddened by his impending death; rather, he felt that the humiliation he was experiencing before his death would prevent him from ever closing his eyes in peace.

He certainly couldn't retain this posthumous reputation, and the arrogance he had cultivated for hundreds of years had vanished completely.

Qian Zhongge was a reasonable man. He walked up to Zhao Han with his knife in hand and said, word by word, "Compared to you, you are a clan elder, and I am the clan head. Before you humiliated me tonight, did you ever think about how the Qian family members felt, or what kind of gossip they would face in the future? As the saying goes, do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. You slapped me in the face, and I will make sure you leave naked! If one day the Qian family can no longer suppress your Zhao family, and your descendants cut off my head to use as a chamber pot, I will have no complaints. This is the temperament of Qian Zhongge."

"Zhao Han, let me ask you, do you know why the Zhao family has failed today?"

Zhao Han knelt on the ground, gritting his teeth, and said, "That's because my Zhao family has stood too high, causing fear in your Qian and Li families, and making those old fogies at the Enlightenment Academy feel uneasy. Then you all joined forces under the guise of exchanging benefits, vowing to fight against a stronger clan. Such is the way of scheming, there's nothing more to say about it...!"

"Just because your Zhao family stands too high, do you think I, Qian Zhongge, can raise my arm and command all the lights in this illusory village to gather here?" Qian Zhongge shook his head with a disdainful expression.

"Ha, the victor always has something to say, the loser is silent...!" Zhao Han still insisted on his opinion.